Forum Topic

Our Love for London

Yesterday I had a silly comment from one of my friends abroad. A very narrominded one actually, still upset.I was saying to my husband last night: I am so grateful we live in the most diverse city on earth (for us!) with this wonderful people who just accept everyone however different this person is.I could not live anywhere else, just a shout out to you guys in this difficult times,thank you, we love you. We will go through this difficult times together. xxx

Katja Urban ● 2409d11 Comments

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Ken Munn ● 2409d

When I was a boy, we lived at Orpington, Kent, on the edge of London. To my parents it was Kent, but to me it was always London, and I was proud to be a Londoner.  London is still my "home town" and a wonderful place to live in my retirement.Love your comment, Katja.  Glad that my home town is also yours.  Yes, we'll get through this together.  xxx

Richard Jennings ● 2409d

Richard’s story reminds me of mine, but I was brought up in Somerset.  Then, when I was twelve our favourite aunt (adoptive) gave my younger brother and I a week with her in her home in Wimbledon.  We went everywhere, Kew Gardens, the Planetarium, a live TV show (Sid Caesar Invites You), Lyon’s Corner House etc etc.  It was love at first sight and I knew then that I would live here once I was all grown up.  So like many others I’m an immigrant and loyal Londoner.  There’s nowhere I’d rather be..Happy to share it, Katja.

Alastair Banton ● 2409d

I agree with your warm and generous post, Katja. I was born and grew up in a small coastal town in the far north-west of England, but visited London as a child with my mother because her sister lived here. I thought it was wonderful at the time and have not had reason to change my mind since, having lived here now since the late 60s. London is great, and Chiswick is special.

Colin Jordan ● 2409d

Speaking as a Londoner, born and bred, it's really good to read the lovely comments from those who have chosen to live here and love it.  It's a pity that so many people living in other parts of England have such a cliched and totally wrong picture of the place - that it's full of super-rich people, eating caviar and living in mansions.  But it does concern me that each generation of my family have to move further and further away from the place they were born, simply because they can't afford either the rents or mortgages required.  I wonder how long our diverse communities will be able to survive.

Micki Hawkes ● 2408d

I too am a Londoner born and bred, born in Hammersmith, brought up on the borders of Chiswick and Acton - now in Isleworth - which I consider to be Middlesex! My Dad was a London cab driver for many years. I love London and its people and really don't think there's anywhere else to compare.

Vanessa Smith ● 2408d

There is nowhere like it, I was born in Hammersmith and brought up between Acton and Chiswick, always said it has a heart and you can sense it, my partner though don't get it at all.

Janice Evans ● 2408d

I can’t imagine living anywhere else. I find that people in some parts of the country are quite anti-London. I get particularly irritated by some friends in Dorset who always say that we must be so relieved to get out of London what with all the smog. And Dorset is beautiful but about 50 years behind London.

Stewart Jones ● 2408d

Stewart, it's true that many people who live in other parts of the country, especially the ones with the 'Soft Southerners' prejudice, have a vision of London as a gigantic concrete slab populated entirely by people who never smile and would never speak or offer any sort of helping hand to a stranger, whatever the circumstances. The reality is that whether I look east or west from my third-floor flat, I can see little but crowded greenery, and anyone who lives in Chiswick knows how long it can take to board a bus because of the number of people standing back to let others on ahead of them.

Colin Jordan ● 2408d

Oh Vanessa, agree with you about Middlesex.  I too was born in Hammersmith (good old Queen Charlottes) and lived in the Ravenscourt Park area.  When I moved to Chiswick in the early 60s, thought I was moving to the country, due to the difference between living in London and Middlesex.

Micki Hawkes ● 2408d

Also born in Queen Charlottes and raised in Shepherds Bush now live in Hanwell , a very pleasant community .I always delight in telling my Brentford mates that there is only one team in West London - QPR (old County of London ) Fulham and the other lot are South West London and Brentford are Middlesex.

David Burke ● 2407d